Trevor

Braided hoses are definitely the way forward to improve the brake performance....firmer pedal and minimal lost-energy in the system ....and a cheap mod to improve the car also

I am a huge fan of Shell Helix...used to sell it by the tank full when i had a garage business. have found it to be quite pricey in the UK but very cheap in French hypermarkets though so sometimes bring some back for my cars.

I have used Petronas 5w30 in all of the Alphards I have recently serviced...I believe they recently changed the listing for the oil specs. Here is a link to the correct oil to use: https://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-fluids/engine-oil/petronas-syntium-5000-dm-5w-30-oil-5l

Any Coolant available nowadays is suitable generally, it's an eco-friendly organic type (OATS)...different colours are only used by different manufacturers but same fluid with dye.

Hi Gary....welcome to the Club another local member...based in Bournemouth as well! I'll keep a look out for you. Anything you want to know, just ask Cheers, Trevor

There's one on the drivers side under the dash, two under the bonnet and one under the glovebox, chances are for the radio it will be the main one in the engine compartment. Good luck :-)

That's a fine looking Alphard and looks very clean and tidy

Hi alextovey .... welcome to the Club It's good that you are on top of getting the necessary maintenance tasks done at that mileage. Feel free to pop up some pics of the Alphard Cheers, Trevor

Good luck with that! I think if it was me, I would measure as many wires as possible and the rest (e.g. speaker wires) I would use trial and error on connecting them to the new head unit. As for the remaining wires for camera and wheel connections, I would do a continuity test on them and establish which they are and wire them into the unit.

Hi Smifster ... welcome to the Forum Good to have you onboard .... and good to see you're still with us Matthew

Mileage-Based Service Intervals The recommended service interval mileage is usually every 12 thousand miles but would recommend every 8 to 10 thousand miles as a good distance to at least consider replacing the engine oil and filter as a minimum. This obviously depends on usage and if used around town (such as short distance commuting or school runs) which can lead to fuel wash-down of the oil and this, in turn, can lead to lower performance and economy due to decreased cylinder compression. An easy way to check if this is occurring is to sniff the dipstick and if it smells of petrol then it is contaminated and needs replacing. Time-Based Service Intervals Another point to consider is that Service Intervals are not only based on mileage but also time periods (e.g. annually, two-years, etc) and should include fluids such as Coolant, Brake/Clutch Fluid and even Air Con Gas. These fluids/gases can degrade over time and create problems within the systems. For example; Brake Fluid will absorb moisture from the atmosphere over time and this can lead to a reduced boiling point of the fluid which can then lead to loss of pressure within the system. Ideally, Brake Fluid should be replaced at least every two years regardless of mileage but can be checked for water content and boiling point readings. Also, consideration should be given as to where these vehicles originate from (e.g. hot, humid environment) and there is no guarantee that these fluids have been regularly replaced and may be long overdue. Other components which can degrade over time rather than mileage are rubber components such as Tyres (which do have a date stamp on them and can invalidate insurance claims if excessively old and show signs of perishing), Drivebelts of which the rubber may have started perishing, wiper blades and many more components. These will need checking on an individual basis and a decision made as to when to replace.

Having used this meter....I have to say, it is superb at providing both fault codes and live data. One hint that I can offer when wishing to read live data is to go in through 'Other' when offered the choice of European, Japan, Other as regions....this seemed to be the only option which offered live data. Once in there, you can select many different data streams (such as battery voltage, engine speed, oxygen sensors) depending on what you particularly want to examine. Note: very handy to read off Oxygen sensor readings before condemning the sensor!

Fine looking Alphards, Matthew What spec are they? Both 3.0 litres?

Welcome to the Club, Mike Fine looking Alphard....looks in great condition

Handy guide for part numbers, can be a nightmare trying to research them, thanks

Hi all, Thought I would pop by and say 'Hi' to you all Cheers, Trevor